The Yuletide Comes AWassailing
by PaolaAdara
Summary: There's always a first, and this time, it's the gang's first Christmas together. See them get caught up with and go gaga over the Yuletide season. And no, simple greetings and chaste kisses will not cut it as Christmas presents! Sequel to And Here's To Us


Title: The Yuletide Comes A-Wassailing (1/1)

Author: Paola

Disclaimer: _The Yuletide Comes A-Wassailing_ is based on characters and situations that belong to Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asashi (and other production affiliates that have the right of ownership). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Considerations: Similarities to other stories/events/passages are purely coincidental unless otherwise cited.

_**The Yuletide Comes A-Wassailing**_

Humanity was divided into two genders for a reason. It wasn't solely made that way so that opposite sexes could boink each other senseless, though that was probably one of the main undisputable reasons. The separation also highlighted the fact that there were some things done only by the males and some, only by the females…such as shopping, for instance.

Yzak Jule would probably be hunted by zealous feminists because of his way of thinking, but for the love of his manhood and everything that constituted his male ego, he could never figure out _why _the men had to ever go shopping for freaking Christmas presents. Wasn't it enough that their small population had to endure the yearly Valentine's celebration scouring the malls for something their girlfriends might like? Wasn't it enough that they made friends with other people, knowing that the emotional baggage that came with being friends was as hefty as the penalty for a crime against humanity? Wasn't it freaking enough that he, Yzak Jule, sided with the friends he had now during the last phase of the war?

"Ow!" Yzak rubbed his offended arm, shooting his _fiancée_ a withering glare, which wasn't proving very effective seeing as how she was glaring at him, too. "What the heck was that for?" The brunette had pinched his arm without him knowing what exactly he did to deserve such abuse.

"It's bad enough that I get stuck in this arranged marriage, but they just _had_ to make me accompany you here! So stop griping about humanity and gender because if you think you've been only complaining in your head, you're wrong. You've been mumbling the whole time!"

Yzak had decided to humor his mother by giving a quick visit to the PLANTs, inconveniently forgetting that once he set foot on it, he'd forever seal his fate because he would have to finally acknowledge the fact that he was engaged.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, embarrassed. "So you're saying it's such a nuisance to be getting married to me?" he digressed, voice as aloof as he could make it, though he still wanted to very much rub the part where she had pinched him. Damn, the woman pinched hard!

"Isn't it?" she raised an eyebrow at him, staring him in the eye as if challenging him to confute her answer.

Yzak ran a hand through his hair, shoulders relaxing before he peered at her through half-lidded eyes. He gave her an insouciant once-over, and his openly lazy scrutiny had her blushing in second's time.

"What are you looking at?" Shiho fidgeted, and by the tone of her voice, he knew she was surprised at her own reactions.

"I don't think I'd mind wedding you," he let out, smooth as ice, contradicting his own thoughts back when he first learnt of his engagement. He took another sweep of her as he allowed a sinister smirk to play across his lips. "No, not at all." He didn't know why he was teasing her---heck, he was even failing at comprehending why he was acting like this---but since he didn't exactly feel uncomfortable around her, he decided he could at least have his fun while he performed the arduous task of purchasing gifts for his friends back on Earth.

Shiho opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but she immediately closed it, as she found nothing to say. In lieu of a retort, she glared at him for all she was worth, and had Cagalli been there, the blonde would've been proud of how well Shiho narrowed her eyes.

"What, cat got your tongue?"

Shiho appeared incensed. "Good thing I still have some respect for you or I'd ha---" whatever she had to say was stolen from her when the fair-head suddenly grabbed her arm and started pulling her in the general direction he was heading for before they had to stop.

"Do be quiet, Hahnenfuss. Let's not allow you to further ruin this day," he intoned, moving forward like he wasn't pulling a previously unsuspecting ZAFT soldier along. As he wended his way amongst the throng of shoppers, his hand still clamped around Shiho's arm, he again wondered why he was doing this. It was so way out character, it almost scared him senseless.

"Unhand me, you bastard!" Shiho's voice was drowned out by the noise of the other people.

By how straining it was to pull her along, Yzak guessed she was still trying to gain back her footing. He was about to look at her when he heard her strangled cry, so he opted for ignoring her demands. The cold wind blew, and Yzak halted all thoughts as he was suddenly bothered by how he was acting.

He heard Shiho issue another indignant curse; apparently, he had unconsciously stopped in his tracks the moment all coherent thoughts fled his mind, and Shiho had crashed into him as she, once more, lost her balance. He spared her a glance and saw that it wasn't him who had made her stumble, instead, it was a teenager, carrying a mountain of boxes, who had propelled her forward by accident. He eyed the wrapped parcels the teenager was carrying, and he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, finding a convenient scapegoat for his actions.

_Must be the season._

**o-o-o**

Lacus looked in the various windows of the many shops composing the west side of the Shopping District of Orb. She had opted to pursue the west side because she knew the malls, which composed the east side, would be more jam-packed, and that being compared to what she was seeing now was a clear warning for her to stay away from the tall buildings. Plus, she had always liked this side of the district with all the quaint shops and cafés left and right.

The Pink Princess sidestepped to avoid a few kids running away from their hassled parents, the crowd not deterring them from having their fun. There were a lot of people swarming over different stores, hustling and bustling as they looked for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. Lacus was no different. Though she was calmer than the other rabid, last-minute shoppers, she had the same goals as them.

It was actually a day before Christmas. She didn't plan on doing her Christmas shopping this late, but the last week of school before they were out for the Yuletide season had been very hectic, and by the time school let up, she was still unsuccessful in going shopping right after---she had volunteered to help decorate the orphanage, and, though it had been fun, she didn't think it would take up too much time. So here she was, trying to wend her way through the throng of people all rushing about to purchase this and that.

She transferred the paper bags she was carrying in her right hand to her left hand then pushed open a glass door. She was almost done with her shopping. There was only one more gift she was hunting for, and it was for Kira. She had been to many stores, but not once did she find something that she felt inclined to purchase for the brown-haired Coordinator.

"Good afternoon!" a saleslady greeted her as she entered the shop.

"Good afternoon, too," she smiled at the woman warmly. She deposited her bags at the counter, greeting the man managing it the same way she greeted the woman by the door.

Lacus went to look for something perfect for her significant other, pursuing aisle after aisle for something she deemed worthy of buying. She hadn't exactly a hard time purchasing gifts for the rest of the gang because she had known what to get them even before December rolled in, but for some reason, an idea on what to get Kira never seemed to reach her mind. She hadn't exactly been worried since she had a feeling the right present would just appear, that once she laid her eyes on it, she'd just automatically know that that was _it._ As she surveyed another shelf and still found nothing, she began to doubt her previous feeling.

She sighed, finishing the last of the shelves in the whole store. Retrieving her packages, she left, empty-handed. She continued to stroll through the busy streets, pausing now and again to drop a few change in the collector's boxes of a few caroling groups she passed.

Before she knew it, she had already reached the junction where the east side and the west side met, and there she saw the Christmas tree she hadn't seen since the last week of November. It was huge, it was green, it was lighted…it was beautiful. It stood on a wide pedestal, and there were various wrapped boxes underneath it. There was a sign on the pedestal, which read: CHIRSTMAS FOR A CAUSE. She remembered Cagalli excitedly telling the whole gang about this new project of the government of Orb, one that the blonde princess herself had suggested.

Smiling at the brilliant idea, she fished inside one of her paper bags and retrieved a small box wrapped in blue and white paper. It contained a jar of hard candies she bought to be placed atop the coffee table in the Athha's living room. She placed the item under the tree and looked up the tinseled evergreen. She could always buy another one.

Just before she pursued another route, an idea struck her, and the doubts she had earlier thinned to almost non-existence.

**o-o**

Dearka and Athrun wandered inside the kitchen, debating about a trivial topic the blonde seemed to find very interesting. There settled by the dining table were their respective significant others, eating cereals in big, colorful, ceramic bowls. Miriallia's had Christmas angels painted on it while Cagalli's had candy canes.

Miriallia ate the last spoonful of cereal, leaving only the milk in her bowl. "Want some?"

The blonde Coordinator looked at the milk carton distastefully. "I'm lactose-intolerant."

Athrun paused in his movements, the bottle of water halfway to his mouth. He looked at Dearka questioningly. "You are?" He never read anything about that back when he had to run over his team's medical data as standard procedure right after he had been handed them for a team.

"Sure."

"Since when?"

"…Since forever?" Dearka looked at Athrun funny, his tone as if to convey the very essence of 'duh.'

Cagalli made a face. "You don't sound the least bit honest. What's the deal?"

Dearka retrieved a dry bowl from one of the cupboards before plunking down beside Miriallia, who twirled her spoon in the milk before taking the bowl in her hands and sipping the last of its contents. "That's just it. I'm lactose-intolerant."

"No, you're not," Athrun refuted, still not getting why his friend was claiming that.

"Yes, I am," Dearka insisted, grimacing as he spied the milk carton again, which wouldn't exactly be hard to see since Cagalli had very obviously pushed it in front of him, smirking like the little devil that she was. "What devilry are you trying to pull, Athha?" She just shrugged. "Why are you eating cereals in the afternoon anyway?"

Cagalli swallowed. "Who ever said it's only for breakfast? It's a free country."

Miriallia watched the reaction of her boyfriend then dumped some cereal in his bowl, of course, not putting milk in it. "Okay…if you insist---"

"I insist."

"---then we won't force you to drink milk. We won't, right, guys?" she directed the last part specifically at the blonde princess, who then tried to look innocent as she chewed her food.

"You're acting weird," Athrun observed. "Come on…it's only us, four, in here. Do come clean."

"I'm acting weird? Weird! _You're_ acting weird! All of you!" Dearka suddenly exclaimed.

Miriallia instantly restrained her boyfriend, though she had to admit, that was a pretty funny sight. "Whoa! Easy there, cowboy!"

Dearka gritted his teeth. "Argh! Damn Yzak for this!"

Cagalli smiled like the cat that just ate the canary. "I knew it! You're an awful liar, do you know that…_cowboy_?"

Miriallia looked mightily amused. Instead of actually being annoyed at her friends for forcing her boyfriend to spill his secret, she was actually _amused _at how the entire scene was playing out, and, of course, she inadvertently grinned.

"You don't have to look so pleased about the whole situation, Haw," Dearka mockingly glared at her, eating some of the dry cereal in his bowl.

"Oh, I'm not," she defended herself, though she was failing quite miserably at trying to keep a straight face. "So…what has Yzak got to do with this?"

Dearka narrowed his eyes at nothing. After a lengthy, dramatic pause, he sighed, an indication of giving in to peer pressure. "Say, Athrun, remember that time when I had a really bad cold?"

"How can I forget? You were off the training team for the entire week while we had to undergo that intense training."

"It wasn't like I _enjoyed _being sick!" he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, you know how Yzak sometimes is. So…vindictive," he waved his hand in a vague gesture. "Even if he has the wrong reason, that stupid guy."

Another pause ensued with the only sound coming from Cagalli's impatiently insistent devil's tattoo.

"And?" Miriallia prompted.

Athrun looked thoughtful for a minute before speaking up. "Didn't he visit you? In my point of view, you should be grateful."

"Don't go making conclusions without hearing the rest of the story, _commander_. Yeah, he visited me all right. Even prepared a glass of milk, looking quite the charitable guy that I knew he wasn't---" he was cut off when Cagalli started giggling.

"I think I know where this is leading! Oh, this is _rich_!"

"It's good one of us is finding my misfortune funny," Dearka glared at the other blonde. "My cold was so bad, I wouldn't even be able to distinguish black coffee from chocolate shake, and the dumb guy didn't even look at the expiration date on that milk carton!"

Miriallia perceptibly winced as his story began to sink in. It was bad enough to hear how sick he was, but to actually be in a worse situation because of his illness was just plain…sad. Of course, she couldn't blame Yzak for her boyfriend's traumatic experience, since…who in their right minds would keep milk that had gone bad in their fridge? Sometimes, she doubted whether her boyfriend was really a Coordinator. She inwardly shrugged. Maybe the bad cold had actually messed up Dearka's head.

"I'm guessing that wasn't the worst yet?" Athrun spoke, the beginning of an amused grin forming at the corners of his mouth.

Dearka looked irritated as he dredged up the painful memory. "No. My stomach wasn't…'Coordinator' enough to endure the sour milk. And, well…you know what inevitably happened next…" he trailed off, grimacing at his own tale. "And since then, I've sworn off drinking milk!" Cagalli was laughing her head off by now, but he still found nothing funny in his experience. Damn, he had the worst day of his life practically throwing up all the contents of his stomach because Yzak had been dumb enough to forget to check the labels of anything in his fridge.

"Poor Dearka," Miriallia said, patting him on the head like she would an injured puppy. "I'm sure Yzak didn't mean to give you that spoiled drink."

"Damn, Elsman! How stupid can you get?" Cagalli, obviously, had very different sentiments. "You expected Yzak to check your labels when you yourself didn't even know you kept bad milk in storage!"

"I gotta agree with Cagalli on this one, man. Sometimes, you just have to be smart enough to go through the contents of your fridge," Athrun said in a patronizing voice.

"Oh, shut up! I'm sure Miriallia's gonna side with me, right?" he looked imploringly at the brunette, who was obviously trying her best to stifle her bubbling laughter.

"Sure…yeah…Dearka…" she said with much effort. "You…know…it's really…okay to keep…expired milk…in the fridge…"

Dearka frowned. "Even my girlfriend's against me," he sighed when Miriallia finally dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable chuckles, along with Cagalli and Athrun. He narrowed his eyes into slits when he saw the former Justice pilot pushing the milk carton nearer to him, along with a tall glass he didn't see the blue-head get. "What…?" he asked suspiciously, fighting hard to keep from cringing at the cruel thought of his friends daring him to consume a _tall_ glass of that cursed lactose-filled emulsion.

"You know what they say: you got to face your fears to get rid of them," Athrun grinned

The blonde Coordinator was glaring daggers at the blue-head, but Athrun was too absorbed in teasing him about his stupid mishap to even care or be affected by it. When he took another look at the occupants of the kitchen, he saw the unanimous vote for him to drink virtually painted on their faces, and if he squinted just enough, he might just see the words "drink milk" wrinkled on their brows. Of course, that conclusion probably came from the fact that the stress he was being subjected to was making his head spin and his thoughts fly off to an isolated and unreachable island in the recesses of his mind.

"No way! You're _crazy_ if you think I'll do it!" he waved his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. "Send me off to fight a fleet of mobile suits with deranged pilots and I'll do it, but this? Hell no!"

"Come on, Dearka… Please? For me?" Miriallia faked a pout.

Dearka stared at the brunette in astounding horror. That pout had always done him in, in the past, and she sure knew how to play her cards. Had he known that his trip to the kitchen would spell out his doom, he would've hopped on the first flight to an uncharted island somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean and remained there happily playing house with the penguins. But no, he wasn't born clairvoyant, and seeing beyond what was happening in the clear present was nowhere in his résumé.

"No…" he feebly shook his head, finding it hard to swallow the rising fear in his throat. If this had been happening to another guy, he'd be rolling on the floor laughing his ass off, but, seeing as how the Fates had decided that he'd be the one tortured this specific afternoon, the telltale signs of laughter couldn't even make it past the forefront of his rationally scared mind. Damn.

"Aw…isn't your _love _deep enough to humor your _own_ girlfriend?" Cagalli said, sounding so fake, she didn't think she'd ever get into theater if she tried.

Athrun faced the fiery blonde beside him, tilting his head to the side. "You do know you can't act, right?" he gibed, making Miriallia giggle and Dearka smirk.

Cagalli playfully punched him in return. "I didn't say I was good at it, did I?"

"Love has nothing to do with drinking milk," Dearka finally and defiantly countered, finishing off his dry cereals.

After a few seconds of considering her boyfriend's abnormal fear of drinking milk, Miriallia nodded understandingly. "All right, all right. We won't force you anymore," she sighed, smiling when Dearka suddenly glowed as if he had just won a million Orb dollars.

Cagalli frowned like Dearka had just taken away her one million Orb dollars, and by the way Dearka was smirking at her right now, he might as well have. "It's not gonna kill you…"

Athrun chuckled, ruffling the hair of his significant other. "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

"Still doesn't mean I like not getting my way," Cagalli stubbornly answered, exhaling and keeping the strands of hair that had fallen on her face, a-flutter. She then sat straight as if realizing just now that she hadn't seen Kira since she hung out in the kitchen with Miriallia. "Oh yeah, where's my little brother?"

"Couldn't he be…your big brother?" Athrun replied.

"No way! He's definitely younger!" Cagalli automatically refuted.

The sudden change in both his friends' dispositions had Dearka watching and listening at how they were talking, as if they were repeating the lines from a conversation they'd had before, one that was obviously still fresh in their minds but was probably a memory of long ago. He saw his comrade give the princess a tender smile, and he knew his guess had been right. Dearka looked down on his own love interest, and, when their eyes met, both of them silently agreed to do away with the teasing for a while.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Athrun acquiesced.

Cagalli smiled. "So?"

"He went to pick up Lacus," Dearka supplied when Cagalli turned to face him and Miriallia.

Miriallia's eyes darted to the wall clock by the west wall, noting the time: 6:45. "It's pretty late. She finished way later than I thought."

"A lot of people are rushing shoppers," Dearka shrugged. "I didn't think Lacus was the type to cram anything…"

Cagalli stood up and retrieved the milk, earning a grateful smile from the former Buster pilot. She went to the fridge and deposited the carton back. "She'd been busy with helping at the local orphanage to get things done earlier," she explained.

"Oh." Dearka propped an arm on the table and rested his cheek on the heel of his hand, eyeing Miriallia through half-lidded eyes. "So, what did you get for me?"

The brunette laughed like Dearka had just asked her the silliest of questions. "Like I'd tell you!" She stood up to bring the bowls to the sink, smirking at how Dearka hung his head in mock defeat.

"Sometimes, I wonder whether you understand the whole concept of 'surprise'," Cagalli rolled her eyes. Before she went to sit back down, Athrun stood up and put a hand around her arm. She looked at him inquiringly.

"I forgot. Come on. I have something to show you." The blonde princess nodded. "Hey, excuse us, will you?" When Miriallia and Dearka nodded, he walked out of the kitchen with Cagalli trailing behind.

Miriallia placed her hands on her hips, averting her gaze back to Dearka when they were left alone in the kitchen. "How about you?"

"What about me?" his eyebrows shot halfway up his brow, looking innocently confused.

"Don't you have anything to show me?" she asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she tried to stare him down.

Dearka stood up and settled himself in front of her. His hand trailed from the base of her throat to the back of her neck, drawing her closer. There it curled and rubbed, a soothing touch as much as it was an electrifying motion. "Hn," he hummed.

Miriallia didn't know what to make of his tone. His hooded gaze, along with how he was sliding his hand from her nape down to her arms, was getting intoxicating that a more intimate touch would probably send her reeling, and she could feel it.

He took her hands away from her hips and wound them around his neck in a loose embrace. Placing his own hands to where hers were previously positioned, he gave her a lazy smirk, which turned into a sexy smile right before he nibbled the tip of her ear, feeling a swell of manly pride when she shivered at the contact. "…It isn't Christmas yet," he drawled.

Miriallia reeled. All thoughts fled her mind as she was overwhelmed by the sensations he evoked from her. She pressed closer as he trailed butterfly kisses along her jaw line, teasing her sensitized skin, moving downwards to the corner of her mouth but never taking her lips.

"You're…being…a…tease," she struggled to get out, a hand gliding down his chest of its own accord.

He dipped his head farther down to give her neck a playful nip and the hollow near her collarbone a lazy lick. He then followed the invisible line back to her earlobe, dragging and kissing. "Am I?"

"I bet…you've been…waiting for…for them…to leave, huh?"

He halted his ministrations, noted her flushed face, then looked her straight in the eye, indulging her another smirk that would probably make her want to wipe off from his face had they been in another situation. "I'm always waiting for everyone to leave us alone."

His breath was hot on her cheek, and Miriallia felt a pout forming when he pressed a kiss on the side of her mouth, dallying just slightly at the edge of her lips, but not quite favoring her a thorough kiss. When he paused again, she leant her forehead against his, tingles running up and down her spine as he caressed the skin just above her hipbone, a band of flesh he had victoriously exposed when she was too busy reacting to his kisses. The naughty glaze in his eyes gave way to a tender gleam that warmed her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Music wafted inside the kitchen, and both of them figured that Athrun and Cagalli must have turned on the stereo to enjoy some quality Christmas classics. The cadence was smooth and mellow, and Miriallia giggled when Dearka swayed them both to the rhythm, grinning like a kid given his first candy cane.

Dearka saw the flushness seep away, and a content smile formed on her lips as she kept her gaze locked with his. He placed a soft, chaste kiss on her mouth. "I love you," he breathed out, barely above whisper, as if afraid that the mood would be ruined if he spoke any louder. "It's you I think of before I go to sleep and the first thing I think of when I wake up, and every second in between. It's corny and clichéd, but sometimes…even the best of poetries wouldn't even do."

Miriallia could never deny that that touched her because his words had just successfully caressed the very fiber of her soul. She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, her breath invitingly warm against his neck. "I love you, Dearka Elsman." She pressed a kiss on his jugular, right above his pulse. "With all that I have." She pressed another kiss on his jaw. "With all of my heart." She paused and smiled once more, then whispered just before their lips finally met, "With all of my being."

**o-o**

"Have you seen that star atop the Christmas tree at the Junction Square from afar?" Athrun asked as Cagalli popped her favorite Christmas classic on the CD tray.

The blonde princess moved her head to glance at him, biting her lower lip as if thinking. "I don't think so, but it's pretty neat from the window of the mall's third floor." She pressed the play button then adjusted the volume.

"So…you've never stepped out on the sun porch on this side?" he pointed at the French doors on the side of the room that led to the elevated veranda.

"Not since before the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Square." She cocked her head to the side, remembering the grandeur of that event. She'd been there to cut the ribbon, and the whole gang was there, too, wrapped in their coats to fight off the chill.

Athrun grinned. "Then I really have something for you to see." He moseyed towards her, grabbed her hand, then led her outside, fetching her jumper from the back of a wooden chair near the door.

"That pretty?" Cagalli asked, curious. She took the jacket from him as he carefully left the door ajar, enough to let the music seep through.

"Yes. That pretty."

Cagalli smiled, slipped her jumper on, and turned around to the direction of the Junction Square. There shone the bright lights of the star, the glow a beautiful contrast to the inky sky. She walked the scant distance to the railings and propped her elbows on the cool metal, mesmerized by the scintillating play of lights out by the horizon. She felt Athrun stand beside her, and she instinctively moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It would look much beautiful against the silvery sheen of freshly fallen snow."

"Mm…maybe…too bad it doesn't snow in Orb, being an equatorial country and all. But I think it's better that way. At least we don't have to worry about avalanches when volcanoes erupt…not that they've been anything but dormant these past years… Though it's nice that it gets really cold during the last and first months of the year." She tucked her hair futilely behind her ear as a cold breeze blew.

"Hm… Cold?" he asked when he felt her shiver.

"Nah…I'm okay. Speaking of which, there's this nice little hot spring somewhere up north…I think. At the base of the volcano here in the main island. Maybe we could all go there sometime."

"That would be nice." He suddenly chuckled. "Though Yzak might suddenly go red from the sudden heat…"

Cagalli laughed. "I don't think his fair hair would match a sunburned---er---water…burned complexion!"

They shared another laugh. When the peels of laughter subsided and a comfortable quiet reigned, Cagalli stood straight and faced Athrun, shoving her hand inside her jacket pockets. "Hey, Athrun, do you believe in Santa Claus?"

"I did. I think everyone did when they were kids," he answered, leaning forward, his forearms supporting him against the railings.

She cocked her head to the side. "So…you're saying that you don't believe in him now?"

Athrun chuckled, removing the stray strand of hair that blew over his eyes when another gust passed. "Well…don't you think I'm too old for that?"

"Hn…you're saying you're old?" Cagalli giggled.

The former Justice pilot watched her from the corner of his eyes, grinning. "What's this, twenty questions?"

The stubborn princess projected a fake pout, patting Athrun's head in mock sympathy. "Oh, Athrun, you're not old…I don't see wrinkles yet!"

He laughed out loud, flicking her on the nose playfully. "You're too cute."

Cagalli blinked, caught off guard. "I'm not cute!"

"Okay…you're not." He saw Cagalli blink again, the words dying in her mouth before she could even add to what she had just said, and he just knew she didn't expect his easy consent, either. "You're pretty."

The Orb heiress furrowed her brow. "Pretty? _Pretty_? No! That's for girly girls with girly habits, and girly hairstyles, and gir---"

"I lied," he cut her off. "You're beautiful."

Now _that_ really caught her off guard, and she blushed the very moment her mind registered the compliment he so casually threw her way. She harrumphed, "Flattery won't get you anywhere, Zala."

He chuckled, gazing back at the artificial star in the distance. "It's Christmas…one can dream."

She rolled her eyes, but the effect was lost due to the obvious fact that he wasn't looking at her anymore. "_Anyway_…as I was saying…when did you stop believing in the big guy in the red suit?"

"Since I saw my…father…putting the gifts in my Christmas stockings when I was…ah, I can't remember what age I was, but that pretty much started to put an end to the whole Santa Clause belief system," he shrugged.

Cagalli worried her bottom lip when she heard him falter a little at the mention of his father. Athrun turned towards her when she wasn't able to give a follow-up right away, and he must've noticed the look in her eyes because he immediately dropped a re-assuring kiss on her brow, whispering something along the lines of being all right.

"Of course, he tried to explain that Santa only asked him to put those presents there because he was short on time…you know, having to visit the entire PLANTs before all the kids woke up in time for Christmas Eve."

"And you didn't buy it?"

"Oh, I did. But then I got too curious and I went off to…'investigate.' Well…turned out some of my classmates had found out about their 'Santas,' too. To say the least…we just kind of accepted it, I guess."

"That's sad…having to find out that way."

"Not really. A child has to grow up someday." He glanced at her and asked, "How about you?"

"I still do…" He raised his eyebrows, and she offered him a smile. "Of course…not in the sense that he's this guy with a real big belly and his ever famous red suit, and snowy beard, and mustache." She moved to sit her elbows on the railing and cradled her chin on both her hands, eyes fixed on the distant Christmas ornament that was blinking with all the season's colors.

"In what sense then, pray tell?"

"They used to make us believe that Santa is this great guy who gives us gifts because we're good people, because he 'loves' us, right?" He nodded. "Then there comes the time when you find out that, yes, our parents are the ones who put those presents in our Christmas stockings…like in your experience, for example. I never caught my father sneaking to put those gifts there, but I grew up and I learnt that…well, Santa's just fictional…at least the fat guy is. So…all this time my dad was my Santa Claus, so to speak. Maybe you'd say that my dad died already…well, yeah, so now I'm going to have a new one…"

Athrun watched her speak and noticed that she didn't look saddened when she mentioned her father. She'd talked about this to him before, and he was glad she'd come to accept everything that had happened. Sometimes, he found himself wishing he'd be as strong as her. Maybe that was why they were good together…because their own strengths compensated for each other's weaknesses.

"Actually…I have other Santas…Kisaka and Mana and Ahmed…but he died already."

"How about the other people who give you gifts on Christmas?"

Cagalli snorted. "Yeah right. Like who? The other Orb officials? Gift giving for them is just for show. You know, to get on my dad's good favors. But maybe there are some who are really sincere…oh, but who knows?"

He chuckled. "Not a single soul in the Orb council? How about their sons and daughters?"

She rolled her eyes like what he'd asked was the stupidest questions she'd heard. "Those kids are too snotty for their own good." She looked thoughtful for a minute. "There's this one, though…but that's another story for another day!"

"Wow. Leave me hanging, why don't you?" She just laughed at him. "Okay… Have you found new ones?"

"Duh!" She grinned at him, her eyes twinkling. "There's Kira and Lacus, Dearka, Miriallia, and Yzak!"

"'Cause they're giving you gifts? Didn't think you were materialistic and shallow."

She flicked him on the forehead. "No! Because they're my friends! And I'm sure as heck that they _all _love me!" She laughed, knowing he wouldn't confute that because it was true. They had all come to be good friends. "Though…of course, I doubt Yzak would admit to such a thing…"

He had to laugh at that. "Who knows? He might have a soft spot for you."

"Ha! I bet he does! But do you know who my favorite is among all my Santas?"

"I'm sure it ain't Yzak."

"Of course not! It's---"

Athrun felt a shiver of worry when she suddenly clammed up, looking like the infamous deer caught in the headlights. She massaged the back of her neck as he went to stand in front of her.

"Cagalli…?"

"Uh…um…"

"Are you too cold? You're turning pink."

"No! No…no…I'm…not cold…it's…"

"Anything wrong with your favorite Santa?"

"No…" she said almost inaudibly, avoiding his gaze. "You see, Athrun…it's…" she trailed off, not knowing how to say it, and probably not even knowing why she brought up the topic of Santa Claus to begin with. She gingerly looked up to see him waiting patiently, and she had half a mind to knock some sense into his dense mind.

Sighing like she'd just forgiven a kid who took a candy cane from her Christmas stocking, she moved closer and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder so he wouldn't see how red she was blushing.

Athrun was honestly surprised at her actions, but it only took him a quarter of a second to return the hug. "Cagalli…"

"Okay…okay…you idiot! Haven't you guessed it yet?" she said, voice muffled by the cloth of his sweater. She figured he must be looking adorably confused right now, and she decided she'd pity the guy since it was Christmas and all. "You're my favorite Santa, Athrun…because…you know…now and forever…"

Athrun smiled as if Christmas came early for him, and by how Cagalli was holding on to him, it might as well have.

Now and forever. That was what she always said, and he knew what that meant. She'd taken to saying those words in lieu of the trite---according to her---"I love you," but she'd sometimes still surprise him by saying those three words that sealed their fate together.

_Maybe the Yuletide season really does make people act differently than how they normally do._

"Now and forever," he repeated.

She pulled away, but kept her arms around him in a loose embrace. The faint dash of pink was still rampant on her cheeks, but a smirk was firmly plastered on her face. "Though…I doubt you'll look as good in the red suit."

She laughed, and he grinned, and Athrun Zala thought that this just might be his favorite Christmas.

**o-o**

"Sorry I had to ask you to come pick me up, Kira," Lacus apologized as they walked out of one of the mall's parking lot after depositing her shopping bags in the car Kira had borrowed from the Athha residence.

Kira took her hand and shook his head. "It's really okay, Lacus. I didn't have anything to do at home, anyway."

They stopped to let a car pass then continued on when the street was safe to cross. The night had fallen even before Lacus had called to ask Kira to come, and now the temperature had dropped more, but not enough to actually have the residents of Orb in very thick winter clothing.

"So, where are we going?" A while ago, Lacus had told him that she was going to take him somewhere to show him something, and now he was getting curious and excited to know where that somewhere was and what that something represented.

"Remember Mr. Duncan?"

"Mm…that kindly old man who owns a coffee shop, well, a little ways off from the center of the Shopping District?"

Both he and Lacus met Mr. Duncan a few months back when they were out wandering through different streets, trying to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings down here on Orb. It had been a breezy afternoon, and both of them had been on their way to the waiting shed for a shuttle to take them home when they passed by this quaint little coffee shop. Deciding that they could still spare a little time, they had entered the establishment and were slightly puzzled to find it close to empty. The only people there had been two guys by the counter and an old man who seemed shaken. That was the time Kira noticed the reflection of light off a blade of a knife held by one of the guys. Quick to his senses, Kira had darted forward, instincts telling him to avoid the taller guy as he went for the shorter one first. It had been the right move since he had thwarted the smaller guy's attempt to finally reveal his gun and shoot the Coordinator's head off.

It hadn't come as a surprise when he disarmed both guys with the ease he hadn't used since the last time he fought with rookie mobile suit pilots. The old man hadn't been too scared out of his wits to call the police when the two gangsters were busy trying to do Kira in.

To cut the long story short, Mr. Duncan had since taken a liking to them as though they were his own grand kids. It hadn't hurt either that Mr. Duncan didn't care much for Coordinator-Natural issues.

"Yes! I…kind of asked him for a favor, and I need you there so it won't go to waste."

"I don't suppose you're gonna tell me what that is…?"

"Oh, you'll see," Lacus giggled. They ambled along the sidewalk hand-in-hand as they soaked up the Christmas cheer around them.

Kira paused then glimpsed at Lacus who cocked her head to the side inquiringly. "You must be tired from all that shopping. We could have taken the car."

Lacus' laughter rang throughout the night air, soft and crystal. "It's all right, Kira! A little walk won't do us harm. Besides, don't you think it's such a lovely evening to take a stroll around the city?"

Kira smiled and nodded, absorbing the beauty of the creatively decorated city engulfing them. The district wasn't as busy as it had been earlier, probably because most of the people were going home already to prepare for Christmas Eve, if they hadn't gone home yet.

They resumed their walking, and Kira noted the bounce in Lacus' steps.

"It's the first Christmas we're going to spend together," Lacus said after a moment's quiet. She felt Kira give her hand a squeeze and she squeezed back. "You know what we missed?"

"What?"

Lacus giggled quietly. "Wassailing."

Kira laughed. "Yeah… That would've been fun. I haven't gone caroling since I was seven."

"Shucks! At least now we know what we must really do come next Christmas! Oh…you know what," she looked thoughtful for a second. "My second concert was a Christmas concert. We had it at the White Symphony back in Junius Five, just like my first one."

"Mm," Kira hummed, vaguely remembering a time when the press release before the much-awaited concert became the most watched television special among the teenagers of Heliopolis.

Kira hadn't exactly been a fan of pop music, and Lacus Clyne had been just one of those popular singers he really hadn't given the time of day to research on. He'd seen glimpses of her when he was surfing the television channels, and that was probably why he'd thought she looked familiar the first time he saw her in the flesh. He inwardly smiled. Who knew he'd end up falling in love with her?

"Must have been really memorable, huh?"

"Oh yes! The people had been really appreciative, and the applause was heart warming!" She grinned as the memory gave her butterflies in her tummy. She wouldn't deny that she longed to go on stage again with an audience that could border on overwhelming. She loved to perform, and she loved how her listeners responded to her.

"You want to feel the same rush of excitement, right?" it was more of an observation than a question, and Kira had just unwittingly voiced out what Lacus was thinking.

Lacus sighed, the trace of a small smile still evident on her lips. "Yes…I do. It's a really nice feeling, Kira. Isn't it obvious how much I love to perform?"

Kira turned his head to look at the Pink Princess. "Yeah. Maybe you can suggest a concert when we resume school since you're part of the theater club." He recalled Lacus telling him that she wanted to try something different so she joined the theater club instead of the chorale organization.

Lacus' face brightened. "Why didn't I think of that before? That's an absolutely wonderful idea!" She halted for a moment and stood on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Kira!" Lacus placed a thoughtful finger on her chin. "Or…I can suggest a musical play instead. That's really going to be entertaining, won't it?"

Kira smiled at her enthusiasm. He really loved seeing her excited and enthused over something because her face would glow and her eyes would twinkle, making her more beautiful than she already was.

He was so taken by her absolute comeliness that he failed to notice that they had already arrived at their destination, and seemed to only come out of it when the chimes by the door rang as a customer left. They stepped inside with Lacus leading the way. Mr. Duncan immediately looked up, and his face brightened upon seeing them.

"Kira! Lacus!" the gentle, old mad waved them over, a warm smile on his face.

The couple ambled towards him, and Mr. Duncan stepped out of the counter, wiping his hands on his pearly white apron.

"Good evening, sir," Kira greeted.

"Good evening, Mr. Duncan!" came Lacus' livelier greeting, as both of them were engulfed in a big hug.

"How's your wife, sir?" Kira asked when Mr. Duncan let go.

That had been the reason this specific coffee shop was empty that fateful day they met. Mr. Duncan's wife had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital, and he had planned to close the shop early when those two gangsters entered. His wife was hospitalized for almost a month, but Mr. Duncan remained the warm and kind old man that he was.

"She's doing swell, my lad. How are you? I've had a chat with the lady here a while ago, but I haven't seen you these past few days," he said, gesturing towards Lacus then to Kira.

Kira chuckled. "School had been hectic before they let out for the Yuletide, but it's nice to be here again, sir."

Mr. Duncan shared a hearty laugh. "I better not hold you down here. Let me just warm up your drinks for a tiny second then you can enjoy the view from upstairs." He went back to the other side of the counter to reheat their cups of cocoa, which Lacus had ordered earlier when she had asked him a favor.

Kira shoved his hands inside his jacket pockets. "Upstairs?" the brown-haired Coordinator turned towards Lacus.

Lacus giggled and waggled a finger in front of him. "I'll tell you later."

"Here you go," Mr. Duncan intoned, resting a tray with two, big, ceramic cups of steaming cocoa on the countertop just after a few seconds of warming them up.

"Thank you," the couple chorused then Kira seized the tray and followed Lacus up a flight of wooden stairs.

"Enjoy!" Mr. Duncan called out before the two disappeared at a turn.

Lacus idly let her hand trail along the smooth banister, which, just like the rest of the stairwell and the shop, was polished to within an inch of its life, though the color had somewhat faded already, a sign of age and familiarity bred through the years. "This is a lovely place, isn't it?"

Kira balanced himself with ease on the winding steps. "Yeah."

They reached an impressive oak door with intricate carvings, discolored and smoothened in the same way as everything else. Lacus placed her palm flat against the smooth wood, pushing it open as her other hand turned the door knob.

The crisp wind welcomed them as they stepped out the open roof deck, and Kira easily spotted the only table with a lamp on the middle, the light burning a soft orange glow against the dark velvet of the night.

The shop was sitting between two tall buildings, providing a refuge for the harried shoppers and workers. And as Kira followed Lacus to the wrought iron fence that surrounded the entire deck after depositing their tray on the table, he figured why Lacus chose this specific establishment. It wasn't solely because of their acquaintance with the owner, but because of the splendid view it provided. They had a good view of the gigantic tree sitting at the Junction Square, along with the frontal tableau of the carolers aligned in front of the tree. They couldn't hear the carols over the distance, but by the size of the crowd that had gathered around the choir, Kira figured they were most probably singing to their heart's content, belting out melodious tones for the audience to enjoy.

"Kira," Lacus started when she felt Kira's presence beside her. She pulled her coat tighter around her to ward off the cold before continuing, "It's funny, but…I couldn't seem to find the perfect Christmas present to give you." She glimpsed at Kira then gave a faint smile. "So I was thinking and looking when I came across that," she pointed at the decorated evergreen. "Then it clicked. I might not have the best material present, but I suppose this is much better." She fully turned towards Kira, finding him studying her with his expressive eyes. Moving closer, her faint smile turned into a full-blown grin. "Kira Yamato," she breathed, "there may be circumstances that can come between us, but I am confident that you know and believe that I will be just here, and if, by chance, you don't find me, I'm just probably looking for a better way to help you," she paused, taking in a drag of cool air. "I won't leave."

Kira curled his fingers around the Pink Princess' cold hands, touched beyond reason by her simple confession and marveling at the astronomically wonderful person that was Lacus Clyne. She had simply phrased her sentiments, with no overly dramatic words and actions, and he understood clearly what she wanted to convey. Who needed material presents when there was this girl who was willing to be the world for him, and one whom he was willing to give his world to?

"I love you, Lacus," was all he replied before he claimed her lips in a soul-searing kiss that he hoped told her how much she meant to him. The cups of hot cocoa were forgotten at the moment as Kira took his time appreciating Lacus' gift.

Lacus had asked Mr. Duncan if she could have the deck all to herself and Kira for a while, and even then, she only had with her the idea of telling Kira what she wanted to tell him a long time ago. She had a faint misgiving that this might not be enough, but by how Kira's beautiful orbs had brightened at the end of her promise, she knew she had just given him the best Christmas present she could ever come to imagine.

"Thank you, Lacus," he whispered when they broke apart, securing her in a possessive hug, which she didn't seem to mind in the least bit.

Kira had learnt to keep his guard up and not just let anyone get too close after what he had experienced during the war. But now he was willing to risk everything and let this thing of beauty get a hold of his heart because he trusted that she wouldn't leave him no matter what might befall upon them.

"Merry Christmas, Kira."

Kira kissed the crown of her head, feeling the silky strands of pink hair on his lips. "Merry Christmas, Lacus." He'd given his heart, but he felt no fear that he might end up getting hurt in the end because he didn't think there would ever be an end.

Lacus slightly pulled away, brushing her fingers across his cheek in a loving gesture. Timeworn romantics would write about how the girl they loved stood there in front of them while everything else vanished, but Kira had opposite sentiments at the moment. Lacus stood there, in front of him, the festive Yuletide her background, and everything else around her shared the glow she exuded.

Kira smiled.

**o-o**

Kira and Lacus arrived home just on time for Christmas Eve. They had left the coffee shop at around quarter to ten since Mr. Duncan needed to close the shop earlier so he could spend time with his family. After a leisurely stroll around the city, they had dropped the gifts for the orphanage and stayed for a while to chat with the caretakers.

Lacus deposited her gifts under the tree, and it was a good thing stores had these special paper bags so she wouldn't have to wrap the presents anymore. Then both of them followed the noise to the formal dining area to find Mirillia, Cagalli, Dearka, and Athrun preparing the table as they joked around.

"Where are Mana and Kisaka?" Lacus asked.

"Oh, hey guys," Miriallia greeted them upon their entry.

"Mana goes home to spend Christmas with her family, and Kisaka needs to be at the project tonight, but he'll be here tomorrow," Cagalli answered, and everyone knew that the project she was talking about was the one she had suggested for the street children.

"Oh yeah, we forgot about that," Kira said as he seized the plates from his sister and began placing them on the table, allowing the blonde to retrieve the silverware from the kitchen. He had been proud to know that his sister usually sent their servants home during Christmas, reasoning out that it would be unfair for them to serve her knowing they had families awaiting them back home.

"Gang way," Dearka called out as he entered the room carrying the big, crystal clear Pyrex where a deliciously glazed Christmas ham sat.

Their modest meal, which consisted of the glazed ham, a loaf of sliced bread, tomato-based pasta, and ice cream and fruits for dessert, would probably have the elite snobs muttering their disapproval, but their little crew was content with it. Besides, no one ever told any of them that they had to have the most expensive dishes to enjoy their little celebration.

Despite the luxury with which the Princess of Orb could have easily bathed in, she seemed hell bent on ignoring most of her privileges. Sure, there were times when she'd be doing just what everybody who had the same money would be doing, but most of the time, it was as if she didn't hold a title so important in her country, and that was probably her most endearing characteristic, if not just one of them.

Kira smiled at his sister, who just had her hand swatted away by a grinning Athrun when she tried to steal a grape from the big fruit plate at the edge of the table.

Dearka glanced at the wall clock. "It's almost midnight. Too bad Yzak couldn't be here. I'll wager he'll be even grumpier than Scrooge!"

"Let's be optimistic this Yuletide season, why don't we?" Miriallia rolled her eyes.

Dearka looked surprised at being chided. He took a seat on the chair beside the one Miriallia was leaning on then answered, "But _that's _optimism at its fullest! Believe me when I say Yzak's cynicism is actually the 'brighter side of things'." He re-arranged the salt and peppershakers in a lazy fashion. "Pessimism is when I say he'd be the jolly fellow he secretly is. _And _that will be lying."

"I'm sure you're over exaggerating things, Dearka," Lacus spoke, though she looked like she might actually be convinced by the blonde Coordinator's twisted and, oddly enough, plausible, reasoning.

Athrun followed Dearka's action and sat beside Cagalli, whose hand he playfully swatted again when she tried to make a grab for another piece of grape. The Princess of Orb sighed dramatically, taking his hand and lacing her fingers through his. Athrun almost smacked his own head when he realized too late that he'd been had---Cagalli triumphantly smiled at him after sneakily using her other hand to pry a grape off its vine and hurriedly popping it in her mouth.

"Now that I think about it," Athrun started after frowning at the blonde heiress beside him, "Dearka makes perfect sense."

The former Buster pilot scowled at him. "You say that like I don't make sense most of the time."

"Do you?" Kira piped in, pulling out a chair for Lacus before seating himself.

"Good point, Kira," Miriallia gave him a thumbs-up then she sank down to her seat when she noticed she was the only one left standing.

They all shared a laugh.

"Oh!" Lacus exclaimed upon glancing at the clock, which exactly read twelve midnight. "Merry Christmas everyone!"

The room erupted in a gush of greetings as the occupants found themselves standing up again to greet each other more efficiently. Cagalli was even surprised at herself when she impulsively gave Dearka a friendly peck on the cheek since Lacus and Miriallia were doing the same to both Athrun and Kira. Her action had her grumbling in second's time, especially when Dearka started teasing her about it. But all was in good cheer, and Cagalli had settled for ignoring her blonde counterpart.

"Here you go, buster, you cut the ham," Cagalli said, handing him the fork and knife. "Since you're so Christmassy and all."

"My pleasure, _sweetheart_," he smirked and she bristled, glaring at him. He poised his hand over the ham, ready to slice away, when they were stopped by an argument coming from outside.

"I told you to leave that under the tree, didn't I, you difficult woman!"

"This is a different package, nitwit!"

Dearka's transitory confusion melted into a grin after recognizing the noise…at least one of the sources of the noise. His hands stalled, and he, along with everyone else, stared at the archway, waiting for the racket machine to enter.

"What are you all staring at?" came the growl of none other than Yzak right after he turned to enter the dining room.

"Merry Christmas, Yzak!" everyone in the room threw him the cheery greeting, which Yzak returned with no difficulty despite his earlier reaction.

The familiarity they'd grown accustomed to allowed them more intimate contacts, and Lacus was the first to walk over to kiss his cheek. Miriallia followed, and a hesitating Cagalli took her turn last. The rest of the guys came and greeted Yzak with the usual clapping at the back that was so common with guys.

"And you must be Shiho," Lacus turned towards the brunette Yzak came in with.

"Ms. Clyne," the brunette acknowledged, pulling it off without sounding too formal.

Lacus giggled. "Lacus is fine, Shiho, and Merry Christmas!" She easily noticed that what Shiho was holding was a box of cookies, so she took it from her to be placed on the table as everybody greeted Shiho and introduced themselves, though she probably already knew most of them, if not all.

"So…how's engaged life?" Cagalli asked when they all trickled back to their seats, taking pleasure in seeing Yzak involuntarily wince.

"It's proving difficult," Shiho bit out, spreading the table napkin on her lap.

"You're the one who's making this hard," Yzak stated like how he would answer one plus one.

"You'll work this out," Lacus encouraged, but Yzak probably thought she was just teasing him.

Dearka waved an indifferent hand. "_Anyway_, where were we? Ah, yes, I was about to cut the ham." He picked up the carving knife and the two-pronged fork then proceeded to cut the ham, dishing out slices to his friends' plates.

"Oh! I forgot something," Lacus exclaimed, standing up and hurriedly walking to the kitchen. "Come with me, Kira."

Moments later, they returned carrying a tray of elegant, gilt-edged flutes and a silver ice bucket with a bottle inside. They deposited them on the side of the table, and Kira picked up the cork opener he had carried along.

"Murrue dropped this bottle of champagne this morning. Wished us a Merry Christmas before scurrying off. And I think I heard her laugh before leaving," Kira explained before he stuck the sharp end of the opener and popping off the cork in one liquid motion, the hiss of spirits quite audible in the silenced room.

Dearka was first to speak, a grin threatening to break out. "Great thinking! Man, I love that woman!"

"It's so 'Murrue.' I bet she's waiting for a disaster to happen!" Cagalli observed, and everyone knew what she meant…well, except for Shiho, probably. Murrue must have thought one of them would get easily drunk and would proceed doing incredibly embarrassing deeds that would make for excellent blackmail material. "She has good tastes," Cagalli read off the label after sidling towards her brother and peering over his shoulder.

"Since when have you been the alcohol expert?" Kira joked, filling the champagne flutes halfway with the golden liquid as Lacus reclaimed her seat.

"Believe me when I say I've had my share of cocktails the few times I've been home to attend any with my father. Besides, father appreciated good wine, and he made sure I know which are the best ones," she explained, shrugging.

The twins passed the flutes around the table then took their own wine glasses before sitting back down.

"Proposing another toast?" Yzak asked, remembering the first time they had made a toast---using parfait glasses filled with ice cream---where he'd been made to agree to go trick-or-treating with them come next Halloween. He didn't really mind now that he thought about it. Hell, he'd already _shopped_ for this band of misfits, how much worse could one trick-or-treating get?

"Wouldn't mind another," Miriallia said, raising her glass already.

An echo of agreement brushed across the room.

"But let's make it quick…we still have lots of presents to open!" Cagalli interrupted, just like how everyone---except Shiho---expected her to do. She glanced at Yzak and smirked. "I'm sure Yzak put all his heart into buying us gifts."

Yzak glowered at her. "How are you so sure I bought you presents?"

"There are times when you suck royally at lying," Cagalli shot back.

Yzak could only mutter incoherent expletives under his breath as Shiho told the gang how he scoured the malls the day before yesterday to look for the "perfect" presents for his "friends." She even went as far as divulging the fact that Yzak had planned to spend Christmas down on Earth instead of back at PLANT. Of course, that was when Yzak drew the line.

"Do be quiet, Jule," Shiho let out, imitating how he shut her up that day they went shopping. Yzak bristled, but Shiho continued, "Let's not lie, shall we?"

Everyone had put their hands back down on the table the moment Shiho began telling her tale, the toast momentarily forgotten as they stared at the former Duel pilot. Yzak was highly alarmed when Cagalli pushed her wine glass away, propped her elbows on the table, and rested her chin on her entwined fingers, smirking.

"That's _sweet_, Yzak. I almost got a toothache thinking about it," she deadpanned, though her voice acquired a teasing lilt at the end.

"Shut up, Athha. Let's get on with the toast, why don't we?" Yzak glared at her, raising his flute, as he preferred to share that toast to trying to defend himself.

"Let's pity the guy. It's Christmas," Athrun piped in, but his voice promised more teasing after they had finished clinking their glasses.

Yzak frowned, but figured that that was the best deal he could get from the situation.

"Okay," Lacus cut in, standing, ready to get down to business. "I propose a toast for good health, a fun Christmas, and a new friend," she tilted her glass towards Shiho, and mouthed a silent "welcome" when Shiho thanked her.

"Here."

"Here."

And a few more echoes of the same reply filled the air, along with the scraping of chairs being pushed backwards as everybody stood up to tilt their glasses towards the middle.

"And world peace!" Dearka laughed as he raised his flute.

They clinked their champagne flutes together, the sound of glass brushing against glass a soft music that streamed along the Christmas classic still playing in the background.

"And here's to us," Yzak deadpanned, tilting his glass towards the rest as he clinked last. And sure enough, the gang, plus Shiho, resumed teasing him right after the toast.

They'd gone through a successful Halloween and were now in the process of celebrating their first Christmas together. There would be a lot more firsts for all of them---New Year's, Valentine's, and lots more---but the thought of spending those firsts with one another didn't sound as bad as it originally would the first time they had sat together for a meal.

They were nearing the closing of the year, and they were all glad there hadn't been regrets about the decision to stick together after the war. _And here's to us,_ Yzak had said, and although he had sounded dead saying it, his words unintentionally mirrored what everyone wanted to propose a toast for.

Shiho took a sweep of the occupants of the room. Sure, they treated her like they'd been friends all this time, but she knew she was still an outsider. They were the participants and she was merely the observer, but that was all right, because this was their private world. She was acquainted with them and was even engaged to one of them, but she belonged up in PLANT. Shiho wasn't a sentimental woman, but she'd admit she was only too happy to be given the chance to see what really was influencing her husband-to-be, though, of course, he would never admit that.

"You all right?" Yzak whispered to her, probably wondering why she had gone silent.

Shiho didn't know whether he was even aware of what he was saying or not, but for the first time since she met him, she gave him a sincere smile. "Yeah."

Yzak nodded then resumed eating, exchanging small talk with the rest of the gang and laughing at some of the jokes and stories being shared.

"Time for presents!" Cagalli unsurprisingly announced right after she had finished her food, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll wager this is actually the only thing you like about Christmas," Dearka quipped, finishing off his champagne before standing up.

"Why…that's true!" the blonde princess agreed for the sake of annoying the other blonde.

They went on talking and teasing each other as they left the dining area to gather around the Christmas tree. Despite the excitement to open up their presents, they all knew that that was only a small part of what was really important on this specific occasion. For all their differences, they were actually a formidable group of friends who never expected this turn in their lives back when they had been fighting for what they believed in.

Laughter rang all through out the entire Athha mansion as they proceeded to tear open their Christmas presents.

The Yuletide season was, indeed, a wonderful time of the year.

-The End

Author's notes:

Merry Christmas, everyone! Kudos to those who noticed that this is a spinoff from my Halloween fic (pretty obvious, huh?)!

Thanks in advance to those who read and reviewed this. Cheers!


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